Rotary floor polisher



1951 DE WlTT CLAUSEN ROTARY FLOOR POLISHER 2 Sheeis-Sheet 1 Filed Jan.5, 1946 tas *0 NR5 kwxtw 3 G Q 0 twain so v2 5 L2ENU [N VEN TOR.

ROTARY FLOOR POLISHER Filed' Jan. 5, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Feb. 6, 1951 ROTARY FLOOR POLISHER De Witt Clausen, Akron,Ohio, assignor to Clarke Sanding Machine Company, Muskegon, Mich., acorporation of Michigan Application January 5, 1946, Serial No. 639,210

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-49) This invention relates to improvements in rotaryfloor polishers.

More particularly, it is directed to a floor p01- isherof the type inwhicha rotary brush rotates about 'a vertical axis, and which inoperation is in direct contact with the floor and formsa support for thedriving motor and its superimposed mounting structure.

It is an object of my invention to provide an improved machine of thistype which overcomes the'tendency to wobble when the brush is inoperation on the floor, and which makes the machine readily controllableby the operator when in operation.

In the rotary brush type machines heretofore used, this tendency toWobble is particularly noticeable when working on rough floors where thebrush torque is accentuated, due to the fact that the'mass of themachine is above a flexible unit, such as a conventional rotary disktype floor brush, and that the working surface is continuously changing.I I

One of the principal features of my present invention is the arrangementof the elements of the mechanism in such a manner that a vertical'planethrough the center of gravity is rearward of the center of rotation ofthe brush. This results in a rearward thrust. This rearward thrust iseasily resisted by'the location of the pivot points of the armssupporting the handle. The arms of the handle are pivoted to th frame oneach side at a point rearward of the center of gravity. Y

It is an object of my invention to provide a machine of this type, sodesigned and arranged that when the brush is set-in operation, thethrust is rearward, so that the operator can readily control themachine.

In the preferred form, the driving mechanism, frame and mounting are soarranged as to place the center of gravity of the whole machine rearwardof the center of the brush, with the handle connected to the machine atpoints rearward of the center of gravit The position of th pivot pointof the handle is important since the thrust being rearward but angular,the resulting thrust point on the floor is ahead of the center ofrotation, which action pivots the load on the brush closer to the centerof rotation.

With the foregoing novel arrangement of the respective center lines, itis easy for the operator to resist the rearward thrust, and the machinemay.:.be pushed or pulledin any direction without any appreciable effortin overcoming any tendency of the machine to crawl, either to the leftor right.

The above and other advantages and capabilities will become apparentfrom a detailed description of the accompanying drawings, in which Ihave illustrated a preferred embodiment of my invention. Theconstruction there shown is to be understood as illustrative only, andnot. as defining the limits of my invention.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a floor polisher embodying one form ofmy invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged partially sectional plan view on the line 2-2 ofFigure 1;

Figure 3 is an enlarged sectional elevation on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the machine shown in Figure 1, withcertain parts, such as the motor and mounting indicated in dotted lines;

and

Figure 5 is an enlarged partially sectional view taken on the line, 5-5of Figure 4.

Referring to Figure 1, line A indicates the center line of rotation ofthe brush, B is the center of gravity of the machine, and C indicatesthe I provided with a rigid supporting block I2 disposed within thehousing l0, and a shaft 13 (Figure 5) carriedby the block 12, said shaftbeing connected to motor l4 through suitable driving mechanism indicatedat I5 and 16 (Figures 4 and 5) and reduction units I1 and 18.

As shown by Figures 1, 4 and 5, the handle I9 is supported by yoke arms20 which are pivotally attached ;,to the housing In by stud bolts 2|,said stud bolts being shown in detail by the sectional plan view shownin Figure 2.

In Figure 2, stud bolt 21 is supported in the oppositelyprojecting endof the yoke arm 20 by a sleeve 22, preferably constructed of bronze.This stud is held to the housing I!) by threads 23, and prevented fromworking loose by a set screw 24. ;:'1Q-.p1OVide a slight frictionbetweenthe. yoke arm; 0 and the housing 10, spring washer ed, as bestshown in Figure 2. As' sliow-ii in Figure 3, the spring washer 25provided with tooth 26 to prevent the washer from turning.

Figures 1 and also show a split sleeve 21 held in place by the screw 28for attaching the handle 19 to the yoke arms 20. As shown by Figures 4and 5, the electric cable 29 which supplies current to the motor I4 ispassed through the hollow handle l9 and-:is thenled throughthe splitsleeve 21 and carried on the inside of 'one of the yoke arms 2!! andthere supported by spring clips 30. At the point where the cable 29emerges from the split sleeve 21, it is protected bysa .rubber housing3|.

For easy access to the motor [4; --asshown by Figures 1 and 5, theremovablelahousingxcover such objects, the machine is lprovided with abumper 33, preferably construct'etl'of'fubber.

rotatably mounted on a single vertical axis of rotation and adapted tobear directly on a sur face to be polished to define a circularpolishing area thereon; a frame supported solely by the polishingelement; a handle secured to the frame by a pair of coacting pivots oneon each side of said frame and having a common axistransyerselyfdi'sposedg'and located in a vertical [plane rearwardhz-ofthe axis of-rotation bf' the polishing element yet forwardly of the rearedge of iithe polishing element so as to be directly above thepolishingarea, and driving means for the polishingblement mounted on the frame ata 5' pointatoloc'ate the center of gravity of the polish- 1'5 32 isvprovided. To protect furniture and other errbetween the axis ofrotation and said vertical plane of== the hand1e pivots.

., 2. In; atfloonpolisher, the combination of a single polishing elementrotatably mounted on In addition to the basic feature of providing amachine in which a vertical plane through the (center. of gravity isrearwardof r the. centenof rotation of the brush, best results are;obtained when the vcenter of-gravityin-the :horizontal plane is as closeto the floor as possible,- since a high weight center accentuates thewobbling action which ma'y-de'velopin passingoveruneven surfaces.

.JIhe amount'of friction between the yoke arms and the housing at'the,pivot points is anlimpo-rtant factor in reducing the teridencyto wobble.

However, this. friction .must .be carefully controlled, since it,hasbeen found thatit can/be increased to, such. a degree' that" themovement of the handle reacts on the' brush tosuch, an extent that thebeneficialifiiectof mediumfric- "tion is lost.

i From theforegoing description, it will, befseen .that' I haveprovided; a? highfjspedjfloor' polisher in Figure V1,the" centerlofigrayityl of the, machine as, a whole is slightly rearward of the,center of the rotating brush, that is,,,in1the', direction .tow'ardstheoperator, and the pointsjwher'elthe operating handle is connectedtothema'chine as a whole are rearward ofthecent'er bf gravity ofithemachine as a'whole.

" Having thus describedmy invention, I claim:

,1.,,In, a floor polisher, the. combination of a single relatively jfiat-circularLpolishing element 'aivertical shaft and adapted to beardirectly on a surface to be polished to define a circular "polishingareathereong aeframersupported solely The following referencesare iof recordzinithe file 'of thiswp'atent:

" UNITED PATENTS Number Name :Date 1,393,532 Howard Oct. 11,-].9211,794,462 Johnson :Mar'. 3; 1931 1,938,300 Sassano -Dc5hl933 -2',119,386Holm-I-Ianse'n'et al. May 3121938 1 2,243,067 Berg May 27,1941"2,254,667 Taylor 'Sept. 2, 19,41 2,268,015 Broberg "Dec'.' 201.1941

FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date France Apr'l'7i l930

